Do mechanics mark parts

Gmachine

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2005
I've seen it on other cars I've owned too, but my wife's accord has a raw fuel smell I'm trying to track down in the evap system. A two way valve, known for problems, ha a chalk "x" on it. I was wondering if it was common practice to mark parts?
 
many OEM assembly and QA procedure require the assembler/QA person to mark each bolt, connection or assembly to show the they have been properly torqued/assembled, most of these marks are various colored paint pens or markers, sometimes just chalk. Some OEM also use a paint blotch to indicate a certain assembly configuration for easier/quicker location and assembly during manufacture ( at one time Toyota painted the pinion nuts on third member assys to indicate gear ratio, don't know if they still do )

I will on occasion put a date on the part I am replacing ( batteries/ water pumps/ radiators ) so I know when a part has been replaced, and us it as a referance when customer gripes that " You just replaced that part last month...." which has saved a lot of problems, suddenly the battery that just got replaced "last month" is actually 2 years old. ( which is about average life for a forklift starting battery )
 
If the car was bought used... Is it possible it was a dmv car??? I have seen a lot of guys mark, try to mark dmv cars so the next guy will know to check it out...
 
snappy said:
If the car was bought used... Is it possible it was a dmv car??? I have seen a lot of guys mark, try to mark dmv cars so the next guy will know to check it out...
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Yep we had undercover DMV come by the shop for an inspection and DMV car was written beside the convertor on the floor pan.

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Tim C said:
Yep we had undercover DMV come by the shop for an inspection and DMV car was written beside the convertor on the floor pan.

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I have seen that a few times and a toyota one time that had a message about the owner on the oil pan warning techs that she would try to scam them.
I mark all of my axle builds and when I do engine work it also gets marked I have a way of marking things that is not noticable to others:D

Buckeye Performance Inc.
 
novacayne75 said:
I mark all of my axle builds and when I do engine work it also gets marked I have a way of marking things that is not noticable to others:D

Buckeye Performance Inc.
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I AM GAY in pink i assume.
 
We have had cars come in that were "doctored" to see if we would replace the missing fuse or charge them for a repair... Both the
local news and the dmv run that game from time to time.
 
This was a part on the evap system, inside a plastic cover. It's known for problems, but I thought it was strange to be drawn in chalk.

nctom said:
We have had cars come in that were "doctored" to see if we would replace the missing fuse or charge them for a repair... Both the
local news and the dmv run that game from time to time.
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I can see the DMV, but the news looking to dig up a story is SAD! Which news station?
 
that chalk "X" could have been put there during assembly after a production performance test, as the systems have to be leak free ( able to hold vacuum ) before they leave the plant, emission controls tend to get a little more scrutiny. could have also been done during a previous test of the EVAP system, indication that part tested good (or bad) at the time.
 
Or it could mean that somebody has stashed their horde inside of it. could be full of gold, or coke.
Which is why it doesn't work.
 
My neighbors dog likes to mark tires!:lol:
 
Junkyard part?

Matt
 
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